Guides · Hiring
How to choose a landscape lighting company. Ten questions to ask.
Most landscape lighting looks good on the first night. The difference between companies shows up in year three. These are the questions that tell you which kind you’re talking to, and how we answer them.
Why it matters
Two systems can look the same on night one.
From the street, a cheap system and a well-built one look alike for the first season. The differences are buried: what the fixtures are made of, how the wire is joined, how hard the transformer is working, and whether anyone aimed the lights after dark.
Those are the things that decide whether the system still looks right in five years. They’re also the easiest things for a quote to leave out. Ask about each one, get the answers in writing, and compare quotes on the same terms.
The questions
Ten questions, and our answers.
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i.
What are the fixtures made of?
Solid brass or copper, or aluminum? Aluminum is cheaper and looks the same on day one. In Ontario soil, with road salt and freeze-thaw, it tends to pit and let water in within about six years.
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ii.
What colour temperature, everywhere?
Warm white around 3000K suits most homes. Ask whether every fixture will match, because a mix of colour temperatures is the fastest way to make a system look like it was bought in pieces.
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iii.
How are the wire connections made?
The most common failure in a landscape system is the joint under the mulch. Twist caps in wet soil corrode; gel-filled direct-burial connectors are sealed against it.
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iv.
How loaded will the transformer be?
A transformer run near its limit runs hot and leaves no room to add fixtures later. Ask what percentage of its rating it will carry.
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v.
Can I see it before I buy?
A rendering on a laptop isn’t your property at night. Ask whether they’ll light your actual trees and stone, after dark, before you sign.
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vi.
Is the price published, and itemized?
Published ranges let you sanity-check a quote before anyone visits. An itemized proposal shows exactly what you’re paying for, fixture by fixture.
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vii.
Who aims it, and when?
Lights aimed in daylight at the end of an install day are guessed at. Ask whether there’s a separate evening visit to aim every fixture, and a follow-up once you’ve lived with it.
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viii.
What does the warranty cover, in writing?
Ask what is covered, for how long, and get it on paper. Fixture, lamp, transformer and labour warranties are often different lengths.
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ix.
Will the light stay on my property?
Unshielded fixtures put light in neighbours’ windows and the night sky. Ask whether fixtures are shielded and aimed at specific targets.
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x.
What happens in year three?
Plants grow into beams and frost turns fixtures. Ask who comes back to re-aim and clean, and what it costs.
From a Google review
Landscape Lighting was competitively priced compared to higher quotes for same lamps and bulbs. The big difference was in workmanship.Russell K. · 4.9 stars on Google
Hiring questions
Answered plainly.
What questions should I ask a landscape lighting company?
Ask what the fixtures are made of, what colour temperature they use, how wire connections are made, how heavily the transformer will be loaded, whether you can see the design on your property before you buy, whether the price is itemized in writing, who aims the system and when, what the warranty covers in writing, and what happens in year three.
Are brass landscape lights worth the extra cost?
For a system you expect to last, usually yes. Aluminum housings tend to pit and let water in within about six years, faster near road salt or a pool, and once water is in, the wiring fails next. Solid brass and copper weather instead of corroding through.
What colour temperature is best for landscape lighting?
Most residential designs look best around 3000K, a warm white that flatters stone, brick and foliage. What matters as much is consistency: every fixture on the property at the same colour temperature, so it reads as one design.
Should a landscape lighting company publish its prices?
It helps you. Published ranges let you check whether a quote is in line before anyone visits, and an itemized proposal shows exactly what each fixture, transformer and run of wire costs, so you can compare like with like.
Ask us all ten
Put us to the test after dark.
We bring fixtures out after dark and light your property temporarily, and you can ask every question on this page while you stand in it. Free, 45 minutes, no renders.
Book Free Evening Demo 888-444-1530